IMTS 2024 Recap: Tips & Trends for Manufacturing Industry Exhibitors

Chicago’s McCormick Center was buzzing with the sounds of new ground-breaking machinery, showcasing the latest advancements in automation, CNC technologies, and robotics at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2024. The much-anticipated biennial show set a record with 89,000 registrants—an increase of 3,000 from 2022. A total of 1,700 exhibitors occupied over 1.2 million square feet, which is about the same size as Chicago's Millennium Park!

Skyline Exhibits occupied 40,000 square feet of the show floor with over 20 clients’ booths. These leading manufacturing brands delivered engaging attendee experiences, fostering connection, showcasing technological advancements, and driving positive sales results.

Skyline leveraged our large presence at IMTS to observe and gather valuable insights on booth performance using our proprietary CMX (Custom Modular Experience) approach. By integrating methodology and measurement, CMX provides a structured framework to analyze trade show performance and continually improve your exhibiting program.

Let’s drill down into the details of what really stood out at IMTS!

The True Heroes of the Show: Machines and Tools
Machines and tools are the heart of the show. Exhibitors who prominently displayed machinery in their booths attracted more traffic, saw increased engagement, and had more repeat visitors.

Large equipment, however, takes up a lot of space! Booths that allow visitors to explore machines seamlessly without interrupting traffic flow were prime examples of how equipment can be integrated for a rich, engaging experience.

Exhibitors who had less success experienced overcrowding and traffic bottlenecks, which can negatively impact the attendees' experience.

A tangible experience on the show floor is very important to the manufacturing industry, whether it's a giant machine, a specific tool, or innovative technology. Attendees at IMTS were eager to touch, feel, and see the tools and machines up close. Machines that allowed minute production details and processes to be watched in real-time drew a large crowd.

Digital activations played a less prominent role with the audience and didn’t attract much attention unless integrated with physical products.

Fast Cars, Loud Music, and Shiny Guitars: A Winning Combo

Nothing excites this group of attendees more than loud heavy metal music, fast cars, and sleek guitars. Who can forget the giant robotic arm swinging the latest red Corvette in the air? Unique photo opportunities are a highly effective way to attract attendees, especially while showcasing the capabilities of machines and robotics. Visitors will remember the moment they played a guitar or explored a car long after the show's over.

Okuma and Mastercam, for instance, saw increased engagement and brand affinity by incorporating an aluminum hollow-body guitar designed by Dean Zelinsky, owner of Dean Zelinsky Guitars. The details of the collaboration to create a fully functional metal guitar identical to the custom wood version cleverly link the brand to specific machines used in the process.

Face-to-Face Connections Build Trust
In an industry that thrives on trust, IMTS provides a platform for exhibitors and attendees to build and strengthen relationships and develop new partnerships. Especially when dealing with high-value machinery, reliability and quality of service play an important role in building trust between brands and customers.

The excitement was evident in many conversations as C-suite leaders, account representatives, resellers, and partners celebrated years of working together and introducing new peers to trusted brands.

Within the booths, hospitality spaces provided opportunities for relaxed, meaningful interactions. These spaces are equally significant as machinery and technology displays to foster connection and boost sales.

Creating a Brand Environment: Beyond the Logo
Many brands have distinguished themselves from the competition by curating experiences that exemplify their core values and brand personality. Exhibitors used design elements like backlit graphics and cohesive color schemes to deliver key brand messages. This approach helped them stand out in a noisy, logo-heavy environment. It is more memorable to provide an engaging and informative event experience than to overwhelm attendees with cluttered visuals. It was this calm confidence that reinforced these brands' leadership position within the industry.

IMTS 2024 demonstrates that while our world continues to evolve, we still value face-to-face connection and hands-on interaction to build trust. It was the exhibitors who focused on curating an engaging brand experience and showcasing their equipment and technology that earned the most success. Because IMTS happens every two years, exhibitors must take full advantage of this opportunity, both to introduce innovative technology and strengthen relationships that drive long-term business success.

In summary, here are five key learnings from IMTS 2024:

1. Establish your core purpose to be at the trade show and design your booth to deliver those goals. If you are showcasing your latest machinery and technology, provide space for them to be admired.
2. Understand your attendees’ needs and what triggers them to engage with your brand. Map the attendee journey within your booth to motivate those desired actions.
3. Never underestimate the power of emotive activations using art and music to attract and sustain visitors. These photo opportunities will be shared to amplify your brand beyond the show.
4. Large trade shows offer face-to-face access to industry experts, which greatly accelerates the search, trial, and selection of products and services under one roof. As one IMTS 2024 visitor noted, “I have covered more ground and had valuable conversations over the one and a half day visit to the show than my team would have researching over a year.”
5. Exhibiting at shows like IMTS is a huge investment, so make sure that your brand shines amongst the competitive noise with a carefully curated brand experience.

When planning your next trade show booth, Skyline is the partner you can trust to deliver unforgettable exhibit experiences that captivate attendees and drive business success. Let us help you shine at your next event with custom modular exhibit solutions and comprehensive services.

Contact us today to make your next booth a showstopper!